


Wrong Victory

by Wolvesandwerewolves



Category: Iron Breakers Trilogy - Zaya Feli
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 02:26:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13940640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolvesandwerewolves/pseuds/Wolvesandwerewolves
Summary: Anik was trembling. His fists shook with barely contained rage. He wanted nothing more than to slam Nathair's head into the ground, over and over, stone stained red until the man was dead. Perhaps that would be his next oath to the earth.He would kill the other guards as well, for what they did to Ren.





	Wrong Victory

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I'm the first person to write for this series! Yay! 
> 
> Hopefully more people will join me :)
> 
> Title taken from a song by MS MR

Ren hadn't said anything to him after they were dragged and thrown into their private cell, away from the common cells they'd spent the past few nights in. Away from the other prisoners, casting hungry, violent glances their way, smiling with broken, rotted teeth. They were alone.

But no more safer than they had been. Anik was glad to be alone with Ren, but he hated it as well. Before passing out, fine tremors ran their way through Ren's muscles; his legs shook, barely able to hold his weight. He kneeled in the corner, violently puking and coughing, one hand gripping the bars, the other seeking purchase on the rough stone wall. His whole body was shuddering, and he kept gasping, but aside from that, he didn't make a sound as he cried.

Anik was trembling, too. His fists shook with barely contained rage. He wanted nothing more than to slam Nathair's head into the ground, over and over, stone stained red until the man was dead. Perhaps that would be his next oath to the earth.

He would kill the other guards as well.

In his sleep, Ren whimpered quietly, turning, curling in on himself. His forehead wrinkled and his mouth turned down, fists lightly clenching, gripping the blanket and hay he lied on. Anik watched as he slowly relaxed; the lines of his face smoothed out. He wondered what he was dreaming of.

He hoped it was peaceful. Ren was an asshole, but Anik was beginning to learn there was more to him than that. He thought, in another life, had they met under different circumstances, they might have been good friends. More, even.

Although, perhaps they were friends now.

Anik stood slowly, silent in his movements to prevent waking Ren. He stretched gradually, feeling the tight pull of muscles. His body felt almost numb. The hard stone floor was freezing. He was used to sleeping outdoors, yes, but the chill was new for him. He needed his blood to start flowing again. More than that, he needed to do something. Sleep was not coming to him tonight.

Sometime after midnight, Anik tensed. His entire body stilled as he listened. It felt almost as if someone was watching them. But the only thing he could hear was his heartbeat, pounding. A few seconds later, there was a scratching sound, on the far wall. _Rats?_

“Anik!”

  
No. Anik whipped towards the small barred window, squinting in the scant moonlight to see a silhouette crouching down at them. Pale face, blonde hair.

“Ilias,” he hissed, stepping forward. Ren turned in his sleep, but didn't wake. He lowered his voice to a rough whisper—his throat still hurt from screaming at the guards, at Ren, earlier. “How are you here?”

“I'm so glad I found you!” He looked over Anik, at Ren, still on the ground. His eyebrows came together as he bit his lip. Anik wondered if the moonlight was bright enough for him to see the blood on his trousers or if he could smell it in the air. “Re—”

“Let him sleep.” Anik looked over at him. His fists were tight again, face drawn. Maybe he heard their voices somewhere in his dreams. Maybe he didn't.

“What happened?”

_No, don't._

_Take him._

“Nothing.”

Ilias looked doubtful, anxiety bleeding through his small frame, but he didn't ask. Anik was quietly grateful. His wrists stung from where the chains had bit into his skin as he fought against them. He could still see it, Ren shuddering, fighting it. His voice echoed in his memory, grunting, hissing, crying out sharply. He'd screamed at the guards as well, empty threats from a prince they laughed at. It seemed to only spur them on. Eventually, he stopped screaming, stopped fighting. Anik couldn't. His wrists bled from where the chains scraped bits of skin clean off. It didn't matter. 

“I don't have long,” Ilias said, looking at him thoughtfully. There was a tinge of fear in his eyes. He leaned against the bars, arm outstretched through them, dangling a ring with three keys. “For the cell door,” he said, “and the corridor gates. Get to the courtyard and follow the eastern wall. You have to hurry.” He nodded towards Ren, reaching under his jacket and handing Anik a short, narrow knife. Anik swiped his finger along the blade, testing it. It came away bloody, stinging. “Wake him. I'll be waiting for you.” Ilias turned from the window, pausing to stare at him intensely, fear, excitement and desperation written on his face, before running off.

Anik tucked the knife into his pants, slid the ring of keys on his finger and gripped them tightly in his palm. He crouched next to the prince, watching him sleep for a few long seconds before clearing his throat and speaking loudly.

“Ren.” Ren shifted, murmuring quietly in a broken voice. He blinked blearily, body freezing and breath stilling for a moment as he worked out where he was, what had happened. Anik softened his voice. “Skahili.”

Ren opened his mouth, eyes wide with confusion and residual fear, but nothing but a wince came out. He closed his mouth, looked away. He was breathing harshly, still shuddering and shivering.

Anik held his fist out, slowly opening it. “A gift,” he said.

Ren’s eyes widened and he stared at it, drawing in a rough gasp. He shifted, wincing, but he seemed to wake up as he reached for the keys, mouth slightly open in awe. Anik let him slide the ring off his finger, holding it gently, as if he could hardly believe they were there.

Anik stood up swiftly, reaching a hand out for Ren. Ren gripped his hand, lifting himself up as he held his breath to keep from crying out. He singled one key out, stepping up to the bars with a stiff back and weak legs. He tried two keys before the lock clicked. Anik's heart raced. He bit back a relieved chuckle.

“This is the third time you've freed me from a prison cell. I'd rather not make a habit of it,” he said softly.

Ren looked at him strangely, as if he wasn't sure of what to make of Anik. “Let's not,” he agreed quietly, voice rough, cracking. It was the first he'd spoken since it had happened. Something in Anik's chest loosened. He ignored it.

“Can you run?” he asked as they slipped out into the darkened hallway. Ren hummed, but from what Anik could see of him in the distant torchlights and moonlight, he was pale. Anik could feel him trembling quietly next to him, hear his rushed breath. “Keep low and follow me.”

“I will. Where are we going?”

 _Follow the east wall._ “This way.”

They followed the length of the hallway, passing empty cells on their way. Another key opened the gate to the next hallway, which they followed into another room. In the distance, they could hear the voices of the guards, laughing and grumbling. Ren stilled at the sound.

Anik grabbed his hand, squeezing so harshly he felt the bones crack and pop. Ren gasped roughly.

“Ren.”

Ren nodded, forcing hinself to look away from the direction of their laughter. He shook Anik off, took a deep breath, then grabbed his hand again, held it tightly but not forcefully. “Come on.”

The last key let them out into fresh air. For a moment, Anik and Ren stood there, glancing around. There was a single guard with his back turned to them, but no one else. Then, a voice to the side quietly called out to them. There was a door Anik hadn't noticed before, cracked open enough for Ilias to wave them over.

“Is that Ilias?” Ren asked, panting in disbelief.

Anik felt himself smirk. He knew Ren would be glad to see the kid. He squeezed his hand. They stalked along the wall, tense with the fear that they would be discovered. He could hear Ren let out a loose breath of relief as they made it towards the door. Ilias opened it, closing it behind them. He led them along the outer ring of the court, to a small, hidden door with many locks on it.

Next to him, Ren stilled. Anik whipped his head away from the door, spotting a guard walking towards them, hand on his sword. Anik stepped forward, gripping the knife and raising it towards his ear, elbow bent, ready to throw the blade directly into the guard’s—

Ilias grasped his wrist tightly, fingers pressing into the bruises and deep scrapes left from the chains.

“No! It's okay. He's the one who let me in.”

Anik watched the guard carefully, not relaxing even as he lowered his hand. He kept tense, ready for a fight and didn't let go of the blade.

Ren gripped his elbow—the touch was cold and not as strong as he knew Ren was. He wondered if he was loosing more blood. Anik gently shook his arm out of Ren's grip, instead grabbed his arm to make sure he kept steady. He turned to Ilias, keeping an eye on the guard and an ear out for Ren's harsh breathing. He nodded towards the door.

“Let's go.”

Ilias went over to Ren's other side, but kept his hands to himself when Ren mumbled _I'm fine._ Anik tightened his fingers.

The guard silently let them through. The door shut once they were out and Anik heard several locks click into place.

They were free.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments/kudos!


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